Hanging by a Moment
by HollyBush
Summary: The unavoidable ALAYM fic. And yet not.
1. Chapter 1

**Hanging By A Moment**

**A/N I'm full of one-shot spurts of inspiration, it seems. This is a deeply unoriginal one but I suppose no Fiyeraba shipper can escape the need to write an ALAYM fic. Here is mine then, for you to judge. Beware; I have changed the setting because I didn't feel I had anything to add to the forest-setting of the musical. It has been done too many times and too well for me to even attempt it. **

**Disclaimer: Still not mine. But I thank Maguire, Schwartz and Holzman for creating something that brightened many a day :)**

* * *

What was she supposed to do with this?

She'd gone into the Wizard's throne room, into the Emerald City even, under the pretence of wanting to free those monkeys. And she _had_ wanted to free them. She really had. But what she had wanted more, what had really driven her there, was not a monkey of any kind. It was a man.

This man.

This man currently holding her hand as he led her through dark streets and shady alleys.

This man that had, until half an hour ago, belonged to her best friend. She still wasn't completely sure _how_ it had happened, but she knew beyond a shadow of a simmering doubt _what_ had happened; He wasn't Glinda's anymore.

He was supposed to be, he _should_ be, but he wasn't. He'd made that choice, for whatever reason. He'd left her.

Fiyero Tiggular, Prince of the Vinkus, Heir to the throne, Captain of the Gale Force, fiancé of Glinda the Good, had chosen her.

_Her._

Elphaba Thropp.

Wicked Witch of the West.

He'd left his engagement party and his bride-to-be behind, grabbed her hand and pulled her after him. Through the doors of the throne room, the hallways of the palace and out the doors. How no one had stopped them she'd never know.

And now...now they were racing through sparsely lit streets, heading for a destination unknown to her and she couldn't bring herself to stop. To come to a halt and face him and have him tell her what the hell he'd done, why he'd done it and what they were going to do now. She knew exactly what had happened, because she'd been right there. She was right here, being dragged along behind him, her hand firmly clasped in his.

But what she didn't know was why she was here. Why _he_ was. Why they were together now.

_Why?_

She wanted to ask him but she couldn't get a single syllable past her lips. Not in the last place because she was too busy panting.

She stumbled and was forced to stop running, her hand slipping out of his grasp.

"Fiyero."

She bent over to catch her sorely missed breath.

"Hold on."

He came to a stumbling halt himself and turned back to look at her.

"Elphaba?"

She straightened as his face came into view, anxious worry etching his features.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded and stood up. Her heartbeat was still wildly out of control but she suspected that had little to do with the effort of running. Running she was used to.

She tried to clear her head of unwanted thoughts and focused on the practical things first.

"Where are we going?"

He grimaced and rubbed his neck.

"I'm not sure."

Her eyebrows shot up.

"You're not sure? I thought you had some sort of plan."

"Not really. I just knew we had to get as far away as possible, as fast as we could."

She nodded.

"Yes, well. Now what?"

"Well...we need to find some place to hide. To lay low for a few hours."

They did need that. And soon. But it wasn't as if she had many such places to her disposal.

"The forest?"

His face was doubtful.

"That's where they expect you to go. They've sent men there, for sure."

They always did. That didn't mean it had ever done them any good.

"I know the woods better than you do. Than they do."

He grimaced at the slip-up but didn't comment on it.

"Yes, but to get there we'd need to use your broom and they'll be looking for that."

"So what do you suggest then?"

"Hide in plain sight. We just need to get into a building here. An apartment building or something. An empty flat."

It sounded as if he'd thought about it. It didn't seem so crazy...only...she felt better in the woods. Safer. She'd never have thought to hide among people. She'd never have taken that risk. Well-populated areas she stayed far away from, usually.

"Right. And we'll know they're empty how?"

"I know a few that are."

She raised an eyebrow in question.

"Let's just say I've done my homework for once."

She fought a smile.

"For once."

He didn't bother to fight his smile. It lit up his eyes and it took her breath away. She sighed.

"Fiyero."

He didn't bother to hide from her either. He looked straight into her eyes.

"Later."

She sighed and tried again. She wanted to know if he knew what he was doing. She needed to know if he was aware of the consequences. She needed to know that he was.

"Fiyero."

He shook his head.

"Elphaba, this is not the time nor the place for that conversation. I owe you answers and I will do my best to give them but we need to get to safety first."

She nodded in compliance. He was right of course and the instinct to survive trampled everything else, as it always did.

"Okay. Lead the way."

He grabbed her hand and started running.

* * *

It didn't take them long to get to the building Fiyero had had in mind. The better part of town, the part she never entered, was quiet, undisturbed. The apartment itself big, luxurious and, best of all, empty.

"You did do your homework."

She could admit she was impressed.

"How did you even find this place?"

The room they were in was beautiful. And empty but not of furniture, which was plentiful and expensive looking.

"It doesn't look very abandoned."

Fiyero had taken his jacket off and took her cloak. He moved to take her broom but she held it back. She had come with him, had trusted him to get her to safety, but she wasn't willing to let go of her own safety net yet. He seemed to understand though because a corner of his mouth pulled and he nodded.

"It's not. It belongs to people who are rarely here. Some high placed family members of Avaric. You remember him, I'm sure."

She pulled a face at the mention of the boy who had made her college time, brief as it had been, harder for the sake of entertainment.

"Well, I have to say that makes the guilt ease."

Fiyero chuckled as he checked all the curtains were closed.

"We can't open any curtains or use the heating though. Don't want to alert anyone to our presence."

She nodded. She felt all she'd done tonight was nod and run in compliance to his plans.

"Won't he know you'd use this?"

"How would he? We're barely in touch. But I know his parents from social functions and I know everything about everyone through..."

His voice trailed off but it was too late. The word they'd had to say sooner or later breaking into their strange illusion and bringing reality with it. Knowing they couldn't undo it, she broke the silence.

"Glinda."

"Yeah."

She sighed and straightened her shoulders in an attempt to gear up for what would come next.

"Fiyero."

He sighed and looked up at her.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to reschedule this particular conversation?"

She gave him a look that he knew all too well.

He nodded and took a deep breath.

"Alright."

She didn't waste time beating around the bush.

"Why?"

He contemplated many answers but in the end settled for the simplest truth.

"Because I had to. Because I couldn't _not _go with you."

She wished it could be enough but it wasn't.

"Why?"

"Oh, Elphaba. Surely you know that."

She hoped she did. She hated herself for hoping she did.

"I need you to tell me, Fiyero. And be honest."

He nodded but didn't say anything. His feet found a pacing pattern and his hand was moving through his hair so viciously he was sure it was standing in all directions. He dropped his hand and came to a halt. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it properly; By looking her in the eye and telling her the truth. His truth, anyway.

"I should have left years ago. Before all this started. Before you even left for the Emerald City, I should have left Glinda and told you the truth."

"The truth?"

"That I loved you. That I was in love you."

She shook her head and stepped away from him but he moved with her and pulled her back.

"Head over heels in love with you."

"No, Fiyero."

She'd stopped moving backwards but she was still shaking her head and he put a hand on the side of her head to get her to look at him.

"Elphaba. I was. I didn't really understand it then. I didn't understand how I could have a beautiful, wonderful, perfect girlfriend and yet not feel for her even a smidgen of what I felt for you."

She shook her head harder, strands of her hair coming undone. She couldn't hear this. She didn't want to hear this. She couldn't bear it. But he was talking and the words washed over her like balm. Like balm and like acid because he wasn't supposed to tell her any of this and she definitely wasn't supposed to be happy to hear it.

"Fiyero..."

She couldn't make it past a whisper.

"Elphaba...I..."

His hand moved through his hair again as he searched for words, but his eyes didn't leave hers.

"I'm so sorry that it's this late. That I didn't tell you sooner. But I searched for you...for three years I searched for you, telling myself that one day I'd find you and I'd get to tell you the truth."

"But..."

He didn't hear her objection.

"And it is the truth, Elphaba. Please believe that. Believe me."

He shook his head too now and his eyes bore into hers, imploring her to believe him, to listen.

"I love you."

His hands were warm on her shoulders and his body touched hers.

"I love you so much."

Her hands fluttered in the air, hovering around his form, afraid to touch him.

"But..."

Her breath came in gasps.

"But..."

She tried to calm down but nothing worked. There was no air. No space.

"Fiyero..."

He slid his hands from her shoulders down to her hips and pulled her against him. One hand reached up and traced down her arm to grab her hand, still clutching at air. He placed it against his chest and pressed his face to hers. His breath ghosted over her face, warm and moist and terrifyingly real.

"I love you."

And then he kissed her. His lips moving over hers, warm and soft but firm and with a mission. She gasped and he immediately deepened the kiss. She sagged against him and let her other hand land in his neck, fingers clutching at his hair. He moaned and pulled his mouth away from hers, moving his lips down to her neck.

"Fiyero...Glinda..."

He gasped for breath but pulled back. There was more to be said and he needed to say it.

"I'm so sorry for what I did to her, Elphaba. I am. I wish...I really wish I hadn't let it come so far...but I...I was losing hope of ever finding you and then she surprised me with that engagement and I didn't want to tell her no...I didn't want to hurt her...but..."

He smiled and brushed his nose against her cheek.

"Then I saw you... in that throne room..."

His forehead touched hers and she felt his breath on her lips.

"I didn't have a choice...I had to go with you."

She had to try one more time. It was getting harder though, to object of any of this, even if she didn't understand.

"But you were happy together..."

She really had believed that they were happy together. She never would have breathed a word about her feelings for him. Not ever. Not even now, when he'd willingly left Glinda to come with her. But...

"I..."

His hands had come to rest on her back, holding her hair hostage and keeping her body in touch with his.

"I wasn't unhappy, I suppose...but I was...I was just empty."

He nodded then, as if he'd finally found the words for what he was feeling.

"I missed you, Elphaba. I missed you so much. Every day..."

He smiled and brought a hand up to touch her face.

"I thought about you every day. I longed for you every day."

She whispered.

"I don't understand..."

He smiled at that.

"Neither do I really. I just know...I just know that I need you. To be happy, to not be empty, to be whole and in one piece and...just...to be _me._.."

His smile faded as he spoke, the seriousness of his words taking all the light-heartedness away.

"I need you."

She swallowed with difficulty, tears blocking her throat. She was looking for something to say, clutching at nothing, when his voice broke through her panic-induced thoughts.

"Do you love me?"

She looked back up in shock. He was still looking at her, but with a calm and kind look on his face. As if he was merely wondering and the answer didn't really matter.

"Do you? Because it's okay if you don't. I know I didn't leave you much of a choice back there. I took that chance and I won't regret it, whatever the outcome...but I just...I need to know if it was all in my head..."

She frowned.

"In your head?"

He nodded as his eyes travelled down to where his hand was playing with her hair in her neck.

"Yeah, back at Shiz, that moment, that silly Lion cub...I had no idea what was happening to me but all I could feel was you...and it never went away..."

He seemed lost in his thoughts but his eyes came back to hers.

"Was it just me?"

She shook her head but didn't dare speak. It was enough because he smiled again and some of the tension left her shoulders.

"Okay. Good. That's good enough for now. I can live with that."

He pressed his lips to hers again and pulled back.

"Do you want to freshen up or something? There's clothes in the bedrooms, I'm sure. You may as well use them."

She shook head head again. Oz, was she only capable of shaking and nodding her head now?

"No."

Her voice was raspy.

"No, I'm okay for now."

"Okay. Food?"

She nodded, glad for the reprieve.

"Okay."

* * *

She watched as he busied himself with pots and pans and whatever he found in the cupboards. She wasn't really hungry, had no craving for food at all, but she needed a moment to get her bearings and though he'd offered her that chance, she couldn't bring herself to leave the room.

What if it was all a dream? What if she woke up to a cold and empty room and this turned out to be nothing but a dream? What if he left?

She couldn't quite grasp what was happening but she found she didn't want to question it either.

She should, maybe. At least that's what she worked to remind herself. This could all be a trap. She'd just followed him, no questions asked. The entire Gale Force could come running through the door any moment now.

But even as she tried to convince herself of that, as she tried to get herself to question him, she found she couldn't.

She couldn't quite believe his words, his declaration of love, but she couldn't believe him capable of such a trap either.

If he'd wanted her captured he could have just arrested her in the throne room.

Her mind must have wandered far because next thing she knew he held a full plate in front of her and smiled tentatively.

It was that smile that convinced her of his intentions. Maybe she couldn't believe yet, but she didn't doubt him either. Whatever it was he truly felt for her, it wasn't a wish to see her dead.

She looked at the food, then at him. He cleared his throat and caught her eye.

"Elphaba?"

He put on plate down, reached up and pushed a lock of black hair away from her face.

"You okay?"

His thumb lingered near her temple.

She stared at him, then at the food again, her brow furrowed.

What was she doing?

Here she was, with Fiyero Tiggular of all people, thinking about what could go wrong. Could she not think of anything better? Could she not just focus on the moment, just this once? Just for this moment? She'd been in love with him for so long. Years.

Years she spent fighting away dreams and feelings she wouldn't allow herself to have. And now, he was here. He'd escaped with her, cooked her food, told her he loved her. Told her he was _in_ love with her.

Suddenly, she knew what she wanted. She wanted not to waste time. She wanted not to waste anything she could possibly have with this man. She wanted to forget, for one night, who she was and who he was and what their lives were like. She wanted to forget, for one moment, everything but them.

Because what if this was all she got? This one evening? This one moment?

Chances were, she'd be dead tomorrow. If the Gale Force caught them, so might he. And she'd never ever thought she'd be here, like this, with him. She hadn't been at all prepared for this.

But now...

She wanted this. Just this.

If she could just have this.

Just for one moment. Just one...

Because all the things she'd hoped for...she didn't hope for them any longer. She had no wishes left.

But the one thing she'd never let herself wish for, was still there. Had never waned.

She still wanted him.

She took the other plate out of his hands and set it back on the counter. He looked slightly baffled but he didn't protest. She reached for his hands and pulled him towards her.

"Elphaba?"

She shook her head.

"Please don't say anything. If this is all we get..."

His eyes widened but she didn't stop to think about that as she moved forward ever so slightly and pressed her lips against his.

He staggered a little but his hands grabbed her waist to steady himself and he kissed her back. His tongue slid between her parted lips to deepen the kiss and he pulled her flush up against him. One hand moved to the small of her back as the other wound in her hair.

She moaned, she couldn't fight it, and that only encouraged him. He moved to turn them, the counter pressing into her back and he pressed the length of his body into hers.

Her hands moved from his shoulders down to the hem of his shirt and slipped underneath. His skin was so warm. She was cold, she was always cold and his skin burned against her fingertips. She flattened her hands against his back and he gasped. She didn't know if it was because her hands were cold or for any other reason but it didn't matter. Her fingers explored every inch of skin as they moved to his stomach and up his chest.

He pulled her knee up until her leg was hooked around his hip and lifted her to sit on the counter while her fingers had moved on to unbutton his shirt. She didn't stop to think at all and it wasn't till he pulled back, his face flushed and his breath coming in gasps, that she really noticed where she was. Her other leg had come around his hips and his shirt was hanging open from his body. Her dress was half unbuttoned at the back and her chest heaved against his.

Oh Oz. What was she doing?

He looked at her and she knew it was up to her know. If she said stop, if she pulled back, so would he.

Only...she didn't want to stop. She really didn't want to stop.

She looked at him. He was looking back at her and somehow she knew he saw her. He knew what he was doing and who with. He really saw her and he still wanted this. It was so clear in his eyes. Would it be as clear in hers? Could he see in her eyes what she saw in his?

She took hold of his shirt and gently pulled him back to her, bringing her lips to his. She kissed him again, softly and tentatively. His hands supported her as she wrapped her legs firmly around him and he moved her off the counter and carried her through the door into the living room.

* * *

She was still kissing him as he set her down on the sofa and moved over her. It shot through her head how soft the sofa was and how much better that felt than the cold, hard counter. How much nicer now that his body was on top of hers, warm and heavy and strong.

All thoughts fled eventually though, her skin heating up until she was sure she had a fever, heat bursting out of her skin. She only noticed he was talking to her, calling her name, when he pulled back slightly and took the heat with him.

"Elphaba..."

Her name was barely legible in between kisses and she smiled in the knowledge that she could have that kind of power over him.

"Elphaba...this...I...are you..."

She didn't want to talk so she shook her head and bit his bottom lip.

"Shh..."

He growled at that but he wasn't deterred.

"But...I don't want to...I don't want you to think you have to..."

She bit back a sigh and looked at him.

"I don't think that"

Her voice a raspy whisper.

"...I just...this could be all we get...and...I..."

She gathered the courage to say what needed to be said.

"If you want me..."

"I do."

His words left no room for doubt.

"Then …..please, Fiyero...I want this. I want you."

More courage for what came next. She moved her legs a little and pressed her body against his.

"I love you."

She wanted to kiss him but couldn't make herself move. Frozen in a moment she never thought she'd have, she stared at him, waiting for a response.

A small part of her expected him to laugh at her or pull a pained face as he explained to her he'd made a mistake and had to go back to Glinda. But he didn't. He smiled the biggest smile she'd ever seen on his face and stared down at her.

"You sure you're not just saying that to get me in bed?"

She laughed at that, so clear and true that it surprised them both. She'd needed that. That relief of the tension, the way he could downplay even the most serious and intense moments. It removed her from her own intensity when it threatened to envelop her. She was grateful now, where she would have once been angry.

"That might have something to do with it."

He nodded, his face holding a feigned solemn expression.

"That's only fair. And perfectly understandable."

She smiled at him and moved a lock away from his forehead.

"You're a fool."

He grinned.

"A fool for you."

She rolled her eyes and was astonished by the kiss it got her and the smile that suddenly appeared on his face.

"I missed you so much, Elphaba. You have no idea."

She swallowed the lump in her throat and stared up at him.

"I missed you too."

She was expecting another smile at that, or a teasing remark but instead his eyes focused on her face as one hand came up to trace her cheekbones, her nose, her lips. His thumb paused on her bottom lip and he smiled a strange, wistful smile.

"We missed so much..."

She frowned and pulled back a little. It was unsettling to see him like this. This man who had always been so full of life and laughter and light. He had a darker side now. He had shadows clinging to him that hadn't been there before. Had she had a hand in that? Her hands came up to trace his face, and bring his eyes back to hers.

"Fiyero?"

His thumb moved to her temple as his fingers crept into her hair and he pressed his lips to hers again.

"We'll make up for it. All that lost time."

She felt herself nod, even if she didn't fully believe it. Anything to get him back. And to allow herself to believe, just for tonight.

"I hope so."

He kissed her then, with all the fire and passion he'd kissed her with before and she felt the fever flare up again.

Maybe it wouldn't last. It was more than probable that it wouldn't last.

But they could try, at least.

They could try.

* * *

**Well...what did you think? **

**And more importantly, do you want one more? **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hanging by a Moment**

**Chapter 2. **

**A/N I apologize sincerely, really, for this extremely long absence. Unfortunately, real life got in the way, in about a million different ways, and took me away from fanfiction. I have lots to catch up on. I hope you accept this, late as it is. **

**Hopefully, I am back now. **

**This ditty was inspired by the German ALAYM, called Solang Ich Dich Hab. I just think it's beautifully worded. I might even, dare I say it, prefer it to the original one. If anyone is curious and wants a translation, I'd be happy to translate it for you. Just PM me or tell me in a review ;)**

* * *

His arm was draped over her stomach. The weight of it on her body, the warmth and the feel of it, both calmed and unnerved her.

It was still dark and she knew it was nowhere near morning yet. They'd fallen asleep eventually and for the first time in years, she'd slept a dreamless sleep. A sleep not plagued by nightmares, by memories, by fears.

And now, she had to get up.

She wasn't going to leave. She'd thought about it. She'd considered it very seriously. It was the best thing to do, for everyone involved. The wisest thing.

But she wouldn't. She couldn't bring herself to even think about putting her clothes back and leaving him behind on that sofa. The thought alone made her chest hurt. She knew she'd have to leave eventually. They couldn't stay together. He wouldn't even want that, if it came to it. And neither did she. Really.

It wasn't an option anyway.

Where would they even go? What would they do? She had work to do, a mission to fulfil. Even if he didn't have a job anymore, even if he no longer had a fiancée. Or a former fiancée, at least. He was the heir to the Vinkun throne.

Though, if he'd been marked a traitor because of his actions in the throne room, and there was a good chance of that, where would he go? Where _could _he go?

She knew she had to think about these things, and soon, but not just yet. Right now, all she wanted to was to lie there and focus on nothing but the feeling of his legs brushing hers and his arm on her stomach.

Unfortunately, she had to use the bathroom. And that meant getting up.

She slid her way out from underneath his arm and put her feet on the cold floor. As she made her way to the bathroom in the complete dark, already she wondered how she would ever go back to sleepless nights out in the cold or in run down buildings or caves, alone. Without Fiyero.

She was still telling herself that she would be fine, _because she always had been, Oz dammit!_, when she heard his voice break through the silence.

"Elphaba?"

She rounded the corner to see him sitting upright, the moonlight and street lanterns from outside making their way through slits in the curtains just enough to cast his figure in shadows that seemed to dance with his every move.

"Elphaba?"

He sounded tired and unfocused. As if he wasn't fully awake.

"Elphaba?"

There was a rough edge to his voice now and she knew she had to answer. She wasn't sure why she hadn't before.

"Fiyero."

She made her way around the sofa and came to a stop in front of it, trying not to see their shadows on the wall. He looked up, blinking fast and he focused sleepy eyes on her with a frown.

"Fiyero?"

She could tell the exact moment he truly focused and saw her because the confusion made way for a smile, soft and beautiful.

"Are you...is something wrong?"

It was a loaded question and one she was afraid he'd answer too honestly, but he sighed and reached out to take her hand, pulling her closer to stand in front of him.

"I thought..."

He took a breath and rested his head against her stomach, kissing her skin,

"I dreamt about you a lot. Before..."

Another kiss, feather light, his hands, warm and rough, moving up and down her arms. The desperation in the movement seemed such a sharp contrast to his soft kisses and she shivered without knowing why.

"I dreamt about you all time. A lot of different dreams. Nightmares sometimes."

His hair tickled her bare skin as he kissed his way down her stomach, his words reduced to murmurs in the darkness.

"But dreams like this too. Exactly like this. And then.."

His hand had moved to her hip and it would leave fingerprints, she was sure. She moved a hand to his face, hovered over his brow and laced her fingers through his hair. There was a surreal quality to this moment, that hit her again, as it had throughout the night; A moment that never should have happened, but did, and the surreality that came with.

"And then what?"

Their shadow, intertwined, made an offputting shape on the wall and it bothered her even as she told herself that didn't make sense.

"And then I'd wake up. And you wouldn't be there."

When he didn't look up at her, only pulled her closer until she was in his lap, she reminded herself to move her arms, rest her hands on his shoulders, but the move felt unnatural. She wasn't used to, or cut out for, this. Strong arms came around her as Fiyero buried his face in her hair, lips finding her neck.

"You would never be there."

The sadness in his voice was overwhelming and it woke her up, distracted her from her discomfort, her anxiety. He moved to capture her lips, but didn't try to deepen it, his teeth pulling slightly on her bottom lip.

"And it wouldn't have been that bad if the dreams hadn't been so...so real."

Another kiss, but gentler this time and this time he pulled back to look at her. And just like that, she could breathe, the shadows no longer a threat.

"When I woke up just now, and you weren't here..I thought...for a minute..."

She understood then and though it pained her to see him so shaken, it made her heart jump a little to know he'd dreamt about her. He'd thought about her. He'd woken up and wanted her there. She wondered if there would ever be anyone else who would want her there. She was pretty sure there wouldn't be. And it didn't matter.

The only person she wanted to want her, was Fiyero.

"Well, I'm here. No dream this time."

She'd aimed for a matter of fact tone, but instead the words came out breathy and hopeful, everything she was feeling, unable to name, wrapped up in them.

He kissed her again, then pulled her back against him, her back against his chest. He brushed her hair away from her neck and pressed his lips against the sensitive skin there.

"I love you."

She almost missed the words, so softly were they spoken and his lips on her ear was almost enough to distract her.

"I love you too."

Her words were even softer but he heard them, his breath ghosting over the shell of her ear. She squirmed at the sensation, which made him pull her against him even tighter and his fingers clench on her stomach.

She tried not to think about how nice it would be to fall asleep like this every night, as she turned her head and offered her lips. And he tried to think of exactly that as he took what she offered.

* * *

She woke up slowly but immediately aware of her surroundings. Her life had taught her to be aware, to be on alert at all times and this morning was no different.

At least, not when it came to that.

But when it came to everything else...

She was warm, snuggled underneath a soft blanket and the sofa was more comfortable than any mattress she'd slept on in the past few years. They never left the sofa, neither willing to abandon the cocoon they'd created in favour of the bed. It had gotten chilly though, so Fiyero had gotten up and hurried through the rooms and wardrobes to find blankets.

Fiyero.

She smiled and tried not to move. Not yet. His legs were entwined with hers, his chest pressing against her back. His arms were wrapped so tightly around her it was almost uncomfortable, but she wasn't used to being hugged so tightly, to being held like this and she barely noticed the lack of comfort. His nose was buried in her hair somehow and she could feel his breath, steady and slow.

Thoughts of why and how and all the ways this was wrong and shouldn't have happened would come soon enough, she knew, but for now...for now...for now she'd allow her eyes to close. Just for a moment.

* * *

**Before I go and open my present...I am working on a new multichap for this section and I would love to know if you'd rather I finish it before posting it, or that I start posting with irregular updates. **

**Thank you for reading and Happy Christmas to you and your family :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hanging by a Moment**

**Chapter 3**

**A/N In celebration of the fact that Willemijn Verkaik, my favourite Elphaba, is off to play the role on Broadway this february...here's the final chapter for this one. I won't be able to go see her, but it's pretty awesome she'll have played the role in three languages (and for about 5 years by then...wow!) :)**

**I hope you enjoy!**

**Oh, and HC247...I am waiting on that new story (or an update to a certain story you know I love..)...it's only fair :)**

* * *

It was the smell of coffee that woke her again.

It wafted closer and closer until it was too strong and delicious to be ignored. She opened her eyes and found a mug, and the man offering it, in front of her.

She smiled softly at the first and much bigger at the latter. He smiled back.

"Good morning."

She looked up at him, at the sparkle in his blue eyes, and she couldn't fight the hope that flared up. All those years of telling herself she was not that girl were not enough to keep from feeling it now. From wishing a million wishes that all came boiling down to the same one.

To go to sleep at night wrapped in his arms, strong around her thin frame. To have this, just _this,_ every day.

She sat up, made to leave the comfort of the blankets, but he sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms, her back resting against his chest, before he brought his arms around her and handed her the mug. She wasn't sure why she enjoyed the fact that his arms went around her so easily, but she did. She could fall back against him, slump even if she would ever want to, and he wouldn't be moved an inch. He was strong enough to catch her. Strong enough to hold her. Strong enough for her, in every way.

She sipped her coffee and tried not to pay attention to how much of her skin showed, and how skinny she was, her ribs standing out and her knees and shoulders bony and small, despite the sheet she'd taken with her to cover as much as she could. But his hands were moving up and down her arms and he didn't seem put off in any way. Not even in the morning light, when her skin seemed most unattractive to her, after a night of almost blending in. He just let his fingers skim her body, his thumbs now brushing down her ribs, as his chin rested on her head.

It made her body break out in shivers and her fingertips tingle with the desire to return these ghostly touches.

She knew she should be angry. At herself. At him. She knew she should be questioning him, his motives, his abandonment of Glinda, his job as Captain of the Guard, but she didn't. And she tried not to think too hard about what that said about her.

She just kept still, sipped her coffee and hoped that he would do the talking.

* * *

He didn't.

He knew what would happen if he did.

And it wasn't that he was afraid of hearing what she had to say. He knew what was about to come. He knew what she'd say. He also knew he'd fight her every word and that, in the end, they'd leave here together.

He didn't doubt that, nor did he fear the discussion.

He just didn't want to do it now.

Not right now, when he was having what might just be the best morning of his life. This...this was what he'd dreamt of.

This is what he'd sometimes physically ached for, when hassled mornings at the Palace had threatened to overwhelm him. When mornings filled with Glinda's endless stream of words and unimportant officials with too many empty-headed opinions, made him lose his patience and he'd make an excuse to leave the breakfast table. He'd fled from his own life again and again, yearning for calm and quiet...and the woman he had in his arms now.

This was as perfect a morning as he was ever going to get.

He wasn't about to ruin it starting a fight he was going to win anyway.

* * *

He was right.

She knew that.

In everything he didn't say out loud, he was right.

She heard, louder with every passing hour, all the words he didn't speak.

Yet.

But one of them would, soon and then this would end and both their lives would forever be different. Neither of them could just go back to what had been before. Even if they would want to.

He didn't want to, or at least that's what he seemed to think.

She didn't either.

She hated that she knew that, that she could feel it in her every pore. It made it all so much harder. So infinitely more difficult.

In the hours spent among blankets, spent with many words but never those that were about to be spoken, there was a truth to them she couldn't ignore. Didn't want to disregard.

She wanted this. She just so, so wanted this.

And so did he.

He wouldn't let her go, and even though that would be enough to keep her from going if she wanted to, none of that mattered because she _didn't_ want to.

He'd made a choice. And by taking his hand, back in that throne room, in front of Glinda, so had she.

She was a lot of things but a liar wasn't one of them and she had never bothered to lie to herself.

She wanted him enough to take what was offered to her, despite Glinda.

Despite the guilt she would always feel.

Despite the friendship she'd lose with making that decision.

Despite the hurt she knew she had caused.

She wanted him enough to take all that came with it.

But that didn't change the fact that she shouldn't.

That didn't change that _he_ shouldn't.

She wanted him, yes, but she did not want this life for him. Her life.

She sighed and moved away from his sleeping form. She needed to talk to him, in all seriousness and she could not let him win the discussion that would inevitably follow. If she wanted to make him see that staying with her, choosing her on some sort of whimsical notion, was a mistake...she needed her clothes.

She'd only just succeeded in zipping her dress back up when he rolled over, eyes on full alert.

"Need to be somewhere?"

She didn't bother responding, only turned around fully to face him, her hands working to pin her hair back up.

"Fiyero.."

He let out a deep and weary sigh and swung his legs over the edge of the sofa. His hands moved to rest on the edge on either side of him as he cocked his head, the expression on his face a mixture between amusement and dread.

"Elphaba, can we just skip this?"

Her hands stilled slightly, hovering over hair.

"Skip what?"

He shook his head slightly and flicked his wrist in an indifferent manner, as if what he referred to was clear as day.

"This. This part."

It was, unfortunately. There was no mistaking what he was talking about, but acknowledging that would only weaken her defense.

"Fiyero, what are you even.."

"_This_ part, where you tell me it's best that you go, and no, I can't come with you, followed by a myriad of reasons why that would be unwise or dangerous or just plain stupid. That part."

He looked her in the eyes.

"Can we just skip that? Because honestly, we both know it won't work. I won't let you go. And even if we also both know that would never be enough to keep you from going if you wanted to, we also both know you don't want to."

Her hands wanted for something to do now that her hair was done. She was too aware of them, empty and gesturing at nothing, and it made her uncomfortable, so she narrowed her eyes and turned her voice to ice.

"We both know that, do we?"

He didn't seem perturbed by the change in her demeanor.

"Yes, we do. Because you never would have been here still, if you had wanted to leave by yourself. You would have gone by now."

She scoffed and cocked her head, throwing him as fiery a glare as she could muster.

"Don't think I didn't consider it."

Again, he didn't even seem to notice.

"I'm sure you did. But you didn't do it. That tells me more than you want me to know."

Her eyes narrowed even further. She didn't enjoy people telling how she felt and what she wanted. It had always been a problem.

"And what is it, exactly, that you think you know?"

"Oh come on, Elphaba. Give it a rest. I love you. I want to come with you. Do you really want to fight me on this?"

Of course, people usually had no idea about what she felt or what she wanted, which made it easy to scorn their notions. Fiyero knew her better than she would have thought.

She didn't enjoy that either.

"It's not that easy."

He bit back either a sigh or a curse and stood up, his body stretching as he shoved his jeans over hips.

"Only because you won't let it be. It _could_ be."

He wasn't looking at her, trying to locate his shirt, and it bothered her.

"No, it couldn't be! You are walking away from a life. You're leaving a fiance behind!"

Fully dressed now, save for his jacket, he turned back to face her.

"Elphaba."

He appeared calm and his tone of voice sounded tired more than anything, but there was an undercurrent of tension simmering beneath that composed outer layer. It should have warned her into retreat but it pushed her buttons instead.

"No! No, Fiyero. You can not stand there and claim this is as simple as walking away without a backwards glance. It is not that easy."

"_You_ did it."

His words were spoken casually, but with a hint of a dare to it. He knew what he was doing. Or so he thought.

"I didn't _want _to! I wasn't left a choice!"

He didn't approach her, but she felt as if he was closing in on her from every anger.

"You could have chosen not to go. You could have chosen to become Grand Vizier. You didn't."

She couldn't stop herself; She took a step back.

"I _couldn't_! It would have gone against everything I am and all that I stand for!"

"Exactly!"

There was a triumphant note to his voice as he moved away from the wall he'd been leaning against and took a few steps in her direction. It made her want to take a few of her own, away from him, but she refused to give him the satisfaction.

"_What?_"

He came to a halt a few steps away from her. It made her breath come a little easier.

"I want _you_, Elphaba. What I want out of life, more than anything, is _you_. If that makes me pathetic, then so be it. And if it means leaving behind a life I didn't care for to begin with...well, then I guess you would know that that's not much of an obstacle."

"Fiyero, it's not the same. I wasn't leaving behind a fiance." She hadn't even been leaving behind that much of a life.

He shook his head, as if her argument meant nothing. She knew it did.

"You left her behind just the same. And not just her."

She wouldn't let him take them in this direction. It wasn't the same.

"You were with Glinda! And she knew why I had to go. Why I didn't have a choice."

"And she knows why I had to."

No triumphant tone this time. She was glad of that. Triumph didn't have a place here.

"You broke her heart."

She hadn't wanted to say the words, but they'd left her lips before she had even noticed the thought but he only nodded.

"Maybe, but if I did, then it wasn't yesterday. If I did, then I did it every time I didn't propose. Every time I left her to go look for you. Every time I refused to attend one of her parties, because I couldn't stand to hear people talk about you as if...because I just didn't want to hear people talk about you."

She was relieved to hear him concede to hurting Glinda, even if the guilt over playing a part in that nearly killed her. Even if the sadness at her best friend's pain was enough to make her want to cry. Glinda's heart had been broken by the two of them, separate and together, and they deserved to feel the full weight of that. Even if it wouldn't be enough.

"Fiyero..."

She wasn't even sure why she said his name, why she'd started a new sentence. Her arguments were waning, simply because she didn't believe them herself. No matter how true they were.

"Elphaba. It's not a matter of simply walking away, and it's not a matter of never looking back. I feel more guilt over my actions than you might ever know and I will always look back. But I won't do it with regret. This is what I want and if that makes me selfish, then I'll be selfish."

"Fiyero..." She took a breath and gave it one more try; "It's not safe. It's not that...it's not that I would rather be without you...since I, as you seem so sure of already, would in fact prefer to be with you, I..."

"You would in fact _prefer _to be with me? Oz, Elphaba, you sure know how to win a man over..."

She recognized what he was doing, but she still felt indignant anger take over, her eyes narrowing again.

"I wasn't aware I had any winning over to do. However, if that is the case..."

He grinned. Widely.

"Sweet Oz, woman. Let it go."

He got up, grin growing wider still and stood right in front of her, his one hand on her upper arm, as the other cupped her cheek, forcing her to look at him.

"Just let it go."

His voice was soft but strong. No matter how wide his smile, his words were serious and earnest.

"I want to be with you. And I don't care for the details. I just, finally, want to spend my days with you. I want to wake up with you and go to sleep at night with you, and if that's not in a bed, then it's on the forest grounds, or in a tree."

He smiled and kissed her cheeks, then pulled back to look at her.

"I am not asking you to stop whatever it is you do. I just want to be there when you get back ….and help in any way I can."

"I can't stay here."

His smile grew.

"I mean it, Fiyero. I'm going back to the woods. I don't feel safe here."

"So we go to the woods."

She almost smiled back at him. Almost.

"Fine."

There was a huff in her words.

"Fine."

A laugh in his.

"You're utterly absurd. And insufferable."

He laughed out loud at that and patted her shoulder.

"Well, you have other qualities."

She rolled her eyes and tried for a stern voice.

"Just get your things. We need to leave."

His hand tightened on her shoulder for a moment, before he moved past her to grab his jacket.

"See how nice that sounds? _We_...?"

"Fiyero!"

"Going!"

His laughter made her smile at his back.

* * *

**A/N I found out today that there is such a thing as Wicked Fanfic Awards...and that vinkunwildflowerqueen and twominutes nominated me! I am completely overjoyed and truly, truly moved. It's amazing that somebody enjoyed my story enough to do that! **

**I will be doing some nominating of my own this week and I hope you will too. And no, I am not saying that to get you to nominate me...**

**There's so many wonderful stories in this section that deserve to be acknowledged so if you have a chance visit bluediamondsonagreenfield's profile and nominate your favourites :)**

**Thanks for reading and till next time! **

**Working away on my new story now that I have some time, so hopefully you'll hear from me soon.**

**And I hope to hear from you, of course :)**


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